Night Visions
by theycallmelokiontumblr
Summary: Loki Laufeyson is alone. He refuses to be anything more than another prisoner to his brother. However, when a ghost from his past becomes his servant again, things begin to change. But not all is as it seems. When the truth is revealed, it sends Thor, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers on a hunt for the God of Mischief and his servant.


S.H.I.E.L.D. had been trying to get in contact with Thor or any Asgardian official for weeks. Incessant attempts begging for Loki's return to their own facilities had resulted in nothing. The members of S.H.I.E.L.D. had exhausted every type of contact possible that didn't involve going to Asgard.

Thor was too wrapped up in his brother to bother with S.H.I.E.L.D. He had been visiting Loki in his cell every day, trying to communicate in any way with him, but it was useless. Thor was only wasting his breath on the prisoner who refused to acknowledge the other's presence.

"Brother," Thor started. Loki never looked anywhere but the wall beside him and no longer gave Thor the lame indulgence of tensing at the use of the word 'brother'. "I hate this situation more than you could possibly understand; seeing you in such a way like an animal-but this is how it must be. You must pay the price of your actions."

Loki sat unmoving, not even daring to blink an emerald eye. Thor waited, feigning patience. It was wearing thin for him after mere seconds, so he banged loudly on the glass cell for the guards to let him out. He stormed off, making the floor quake with each stomp.

Loki had grown accustomed to being a ghost. He wouldn't show any signs of life other than silent breaths when eyes were upon him. He let his skin grow tight and dull instead of eat the food Thor had brought him in exchange for a word. His hair hand grown long in wild but lifeless tendrils, much longer than he'd ever grown it or ever wished it to be. He was allowed to wear the torn green tunic he had always worn under his armor and ill fitting black pants, the deep scoop of the tunic showing off his pale and withering skin.

"You look like shit." A familiar voice rang through the chamber.

Loki didn't dare look towards the figure. He already knew who that cocky tone belonged to.

"A Midgardian paying the Liesmith a visit, how touching." Loki's voice caught a little in his dry throat, sounding almost ancient.

"Hey, I'm on a mission from Swayze." Tony chuckled, disregarding the prisoner's unfamiliarity of the reference. "He says you've been all angsty teenager, I-hate-everyone-in-the-universe kinda mood lately." Loki was genuinely surprised that Tony had been allowed in Asgard, he was sure that he'd cause some kind of trouble sooner than later.

"The universe hates me, so I hate it." Loki replied sourly.

"Aw, that's not true!" Tony replied, leaning against the glass wall.

"Why exactly are you here, Stark?" Loki questioned dryly, slowly bringing up his head so his eyes could meet the visitor's.

"Agent Readhead is up there somewhere talking to your brother 'on behalf of shield'." He mimicked, taking on a stern expression.

"Thor is no brother of mine, as he has almost certainly informed you."

"So he's your brother from another mother! I know that this whole daddy thing has been hard on you but I know plenty of people who were adopted and didn't kill eighty people, give or take-"

"-Says the man whose father was absent most of his life making war machines." Loki cut Tony off. Loki could see he struck somewhat of a sore nerve in Tony but didn't feel any remorse. He tired of being referred to as Thor's brother and having people try and reason with him.

Tony puckered his lips, narrowing his deep brown eyes, and growled "Have fun in your playpen." Before leaving Loki alone once more. Loki sighed, somewhat regretting what he had said. There were very few people who he enjoyed as company, and he had just pissed off one of them, doubting that he would return. He heard Tony's distant voice down the hall say bitterly "He's all yours."

A few moments later, a very exasperated looking Agent Romanoff marched in but didn't enter his cell. She stopped with her legs shoulder apart, arms behind her back. She wore her usual uniform, which must have caused a fit with whoever let her in. Tony had at least had the decency to dress in proper Asgardian clothing, while Natasha had stood firm about representing S.H.I.E.L.D.

"To what do I owe this special appearance beside my cell?" Loki drawled, smirking at the agent.

"So he does speak." She asked nonchalantly.

"With a larger vocabulary than yourself and with a better manner of speaking."

Natasha's eye twitched and she replied. "Some could argue with that. No wonder Mr. Stark left so quickly."

"I can understand you coming to Asgard, but why him? Why not your lover?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Stark insisted he saw you. Something tells me that you are the one with the lover."

The corner of Loki's lips turned up and he said lightly. "No such luck."

"I don't know about that," Agent Romanoff relaxed a little and folded her arms across her chest. "You two looked pretty cozy when Thor was taking you to be transported. You didn't seem too bothered with all the innuendos Mr. Stark implied about your situation."

He remembered that exact instance well. Loki had been muzzled and cuffed by his brother, but Tony had tormented him with sexual jokes about bondage endlessly. He had also teased Loki with shawarma, dancing it inches away from Loki's face.

"I also wasn't amused about him informing me that he had a pair of furry handcuffs with my name on it, so please, state your business."

"I'm only here to remind you of what you have done and to assure you that you will never see the light of day again. You will rot in this place, whether that is in a few years or in a thousand more; and I will smile on the day your sad existence ends because I know you'll go straight to hell." Natasha fired, suddenly changing her tone.

"Are you still angry about Agent Coulson?" Loki asked innocently, leaning forward.

It took every ounce of strength in Natasha not to completely lose control and lash out at the prisoner. She could feel the tears burn behind her eyelashes and prayed that they would not go any further. She didn't even show the slightest twitch in her face, but Loki could see it in her eyes, and that was enough for him. Agent Romanoff left without another word and didn't look back, refusing to let her emotions get the best of her.

The prisoner heard the heavy doors to the room open and close, and how utterly quiet it became once they had. He was by himself again, with only his thoughts as company. He was going insane.

He imagined his cell would be a terrible, dank, and decaying enclosure in the dungeons like what is accustomed, but he did not have such a good fate. There was an endless supply of hot, bright light shining down on him at all times. There was never a moment of darkness, never a moment where he couldn't see his reflection in the glass and stop hating himself. There was no escape from this new reality, no way for him to magically make it disappear. He had no magic, and he had no joy. Just a few old books, parchment, charcoal, and a bottle of water.

By the second week of confinement, what he had done had finally set in. Innocent people had died because of him. Men, women, and children had all perished for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had no idea how many lives had been taken by the Chitauri, but he knew that those lives were taken under his orders.

He wanted to scream, to unleash every emotion that he had ever kept away or hidden because he was too afraid to let it be known that the god of mischief felt such things. But he couldn't. He could not escape the silence that was his punishment. The guards weren't even in the same room as him, simply standing outside the menacing iron doors and watching the hallway.

One night, the lights flickered for only a moment, but in that swift moment Loki saw himself murdering Phil Coulson. How the blood dripped from his wound and how the life slowly dripped with it, until there was nothing left. Three days passed before he slept again.

* * *

Aurora found comfort in keeping busy; it was a rare occasion that the servant complained about her duties. Even though she had been a servant since birth, she always had attention drawn to her because of how out of place she was. Her name was unfitting for a servant; her hair was black as night unlike the gold tresses that so many others possessed, she was an orphan, and she never grew tired of working.

She remembered that when she had turned ten, she had been personally appointed by Frigga as Loki's servant. She overheard Frigga telling her son that she had hair just like his and that she wasn't like everyone else, and she had a feeling that it was why she was picked for Loki.

Over the years she had grown very loyal to him, even though he barely noticed her. Whenever Loki had a fight with Thor, she'd take Loki's side and when permitted, she would console him and make him feel better. When he was sad, so was she. When he was happy, so was she. When Thor was banished and Loki named king, Aurora beamed with joy that her master had what he rightly deserved. She was heartbroken when he vanished-however, she vanished too.

No one knew where Aurora had gone, and no one noticed her absence for almost a year.

When Loki had returned to Asgard, hatred filled her heart and she seethed with anger towards the man she once so admired. All of Asgard knew of what he had done, and no one was on his side now. She hated Loki for his crimes and refused to even let the thought of him cross her mind if she could have something to do with it.

"Aurora?" A husky voice beckoned her. She immediately put down the silver she was polishing and turned to curtsey before the God of Thunder. She hadn't heard him speak her name in what may have been years; even though he had always insisted on calling her by her first name since they had known each other since childhood she never got used to the sound of it coming from his mouth.

"Your excellence."

"You are Aurora, are you not?" Thor asked confidently. He knew very well that it was her, but she had changed so much. She was a woman now, she displayed all signs of it. She carried herself with more dignity, though not so much that she looked like she had forgotten her place, she wore her hair in a tight pony tail, and her eyes seemed to be older and wiser than the rest of her.

"Yes, your highness." She affirmed with a nod.

"My brother and I used to play with you when we were children, do you remember?" Thor asked.

"No, your grace, I do not believe servants were allowed any time to play, even as children." She answered, even though she did remember. For whatever reason, Thor's mother, Frigga, took a liking to Aurora and allowed her to play with her boys, and Aurora was forever grateful.

"My mother and I would tease you and my brother; she would call you his wife. You were like his shadow." Thor recalled, laughing warmly.

"I remember now, your excellence." She smiled brightly. "I was very fond of your brother."

"You displayed loyalty that no one has forgotten, loyalty that I haven't seen in a servant before." Thor stated, moving closer to the girl. "He needs someone like you."

"P-pardon, your grace?" The servant stammered, unable to register what he had just said. At this point, she was more frightened than angered by the idea of serving Loki again.

"My brother is alone and refuses to speak to me, much less anyone else. I know that he will speak to you and become his old self again. I need to find my brother, Aurora, and I need you to help me speak to him once more."

"Your love for him is admirable, your highness." Aurora said nervously.

"Love that I know I have seen in your eyes whilst looking at him before." Thor could hear the reluctance in her voice. "I fear that my love and patience for him are running out; seeing what he has done to those Midgardians."

Aurora was silent for a few more moments, more uncomfortable as each one passed. She finally spoke, hesitating before doing so. "What is it you are asking of me, your excellence?"

"Befriend my brother and make him smile again. He needs someone, and he refuses me with every passing day, and it is torture seeing him in his state."

"But I will serve him?" She questioned, before quickly adding "Your highness?"

"Yes. But I know it brings you joy to make him happy." Thor nodded confidently.

Aurora slowly cracked a smile that she hoped looked realistic enough before asking another question. "Is there anything else I am required of, your grace?"

"If you can, I'd like to know where Loki vanished to after the Bifrost shattered, and what made him this way, and where he got such power." Thor confessed in a more hushed tone. "This is a quite an enormous task, but I know that you of all people, Aurora, can prove it able."

Aurora smiled again and nodded. "When shall I start?" She laughed nervously.

* * *

Loki had no more than a few old books and a pad of parchment and charcoal to entertain him and let the hours pass. He had memorized almost every word in every book he was permitted, yet he read them over and over again. He drew few things, but there was no distinct pattern. Trees, birds, fire, the sun, the palace, even the table and chair in his cell. He had to admit, he was a damn good artist.

The Liesmith was hurriedly sketching his memory of the beautiful moon that shone down on Germany when he heard slow but light footsteps coming down the hall, walking with a purpose. He barely looked up from his drawing when the young woman walked in with a tray of fruit and drink.

When he glanced up to survey his surroundings, he planned on only looking for a mere second, but when he caught sight of her, he couldn't tear his eyes away and became mesmerized in the figure of the woman before him. She was very slender, but not in the way that she seemed starved, yet she had curves that beckoned to be admired. A waterfall of ink black hair dripped down to the top of her back in a tight ponytail, the fire making it shine. Her eyes were a striking shade of hazel, but they possessed certain coldness, as if the life was gone. She wore a fern green dress with a dull gold trim that barely touched the ground with a black cord wrapping itself around her waist. Because it was so cold, she wore a light black robe that went a little past her knees and sleeves that opened at her elbows.

Aurora pretended to busy herself by re-arranging the food and drink on her platter, but she could feel his bright green green eyes burning every inch of her body. It made her skin crawl knowing that he acknowledged her presence and took no time in drinking her in.

"It is an honor to serve you, your highness." She said meekly, turning towards the prisoner but avoiding his gaze.

Her use of 'highness' caused an amused smirk to form on Loki's face, and he almost let a chuckle escape. "Finally, someone with the right mind to refer to me properly." He said arrogantly, placing his pad and charcoal on the floor beside him.

" I have been instructed to treat you as a prisoner but with the same respect and authority as previously demonstrated." She stated professionally, picking up the platter and carrying it up the steps as Loki approached the glass wall.

There was a little area between the cell and the other half of the room to make sure that when someone tried to enter or leave Loki could not follow. There was a special lock for this cell, one where Aurora had to be instructed on where and how to slide her finger across the metal in a pattern so the small compartment would open, where she would have to do another pattern to get into the real cell.

"As previously demonstrated?" Loki asked, backing away from the door so she could enter. "Have we met before?" Loki wondered as she set the platter on his table and put her hands behind her back. By that last action, he recognized her instantly and felt incredibly dim for not doing so before. He seemed genuinely shocked that this woman used to be the small but incredibly devoted servant so many years ago. "Aurora?"

Upon hearing her name spoken by him, she closed her eyes and her body went weak, almost sending her to the floor. In what seemed one swift motion, Loki had caught Aurora with a strong hand on the small of her back and another hand around her wrist to help steady her. Her head felt empty and her bones heavier than lead. His touch was so foreign and so cold, but for a moment she welcomed it. As soon as that feeling had come it was replaced with disgust and terror, remembering that those hands were behind the destruction and slaughter that had sent him to this cell.

"Forgive me," She muttered, trying to compose herself. "Is there anything else you require of me?"

He noticed that she refused to look him in the eyes, try as he might to catch them in his gaze. He said finally "I need nothing more, thank you. I suggest that you rest before you hurt someone with your clumsiness."

Aurora nodded, trying not to sneer at him, before leaving the cell and heading for the hallway. One of the guards with a huge nose and the height of a giant stopped her, holding out an enormous paw of a hand asking "Where do you think you're going?" She gave him a strange look before he continued. "Didn't you notice all of your belongings were transferred from your room to here?"

Aurora gazed at him in horror before scurrying back into the room and kicking herself for not noticing the big hulking bed and other minor belongings on the other side of the room when she entered. All she had wanted was to go back to the safety of her own room, wrap herself up in her blanket, and be as far away from Loki as she could, escape from the thought of him for a few hours while she slept this experience away.

"Looks like we are going to be spending a lot of time together, aren't we?" Loki commented, a faint grin on his face. "Would you like me to tuck you in?"

It was going to be a long night.

**A/N: I've been wanting to do a Loki fan fiction for so long, and this idea came to me in about April, so I've had a lot of time to think it through and prepare a plot. **

**I've never liked reading a story with a character that wasn't a part of the original story, but I didn't really have any characters at my disposal, therefore Aurora has come to be. For whatever reason, whenever I think of Aurora, I think of the woman who plays Sif, Jamie Alexander. **

**There are some technical things I don't feel like dealing with (it's a fanfiction. If it were an honest to goodness story where I needed to do research I would, but it's not) we all know Loki and Thor are all gods and shit, and normal Asgardians just age a lot slower than humans. Aurora looks about twenty eight or so, but I didn't really want to do the math to calculate what her real age would be. Frigga is gonna be an un naturally nice lady and let her kids play with the orphaned servant and Odin didn't go all ARGH about it so deal with it. I couldn't find an exact list of Loki's powers, so I'm going to do what I think is realistic for him.**

**Thank you so much for reading! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, even ideas, just review or private message me, or you can reach me here:**

**twitter: itsfourothree**

**tumblr(obviously): theycallmeloki**


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